Feed bunk cleaner

ABSTRACT

AN ATTACHMENT INCLUDING A BASE TO BE MOUNTED UPON A VEHICLE FOR VERTICAL ADJUSTMENT RELATIVE THERETO AND FOR OSCILLATION ABOUT A FIRST HORIZONTAL TRANSVERSE AXIS. A TRANSVERSE SUPPORT ARM IS SUPPORTED AT ONE END FROM THE BASE FOR OSCILLATION ABOUT A SECOND AXIS DISPOSED NORMAL TO THE FIRST AXIS. THE OTHER END OF THE SUPPORT ARM HAS THE FIRST FRONT END OF A TRAILING ARM SUPPORTED THEREFROM FOR LIMITED UNIVERSAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO AND THE SECONE REAR END OF THE TRAILING ARM HAS A POWERED ROTARY BRUSH ASSEMBLY SUPPORTED THEREFROM WHOSE ROTARY BRUSH ELEMENT IS ROTATABLE ABOUT A HORIZONTAL TRANSVESE AXIS.

1971 w. R. RASMUSSEN 3,611,465

' FEED BUNK'CLEANER Filed May 6, 1969 s Sheets-Sheet 1 IN l/nN' Oct. 12, 1971 w. R. RASMUSSEN FEED BUNK"CLEANER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 6, 1969 i/l/am R; Rasmussen IN Vic/\I'I'UK.

Q QN Oct. 12, 197]- Filed May 6, 1969 w. R. RASM USSEN 3,611,465

FEED BUNKPCLEANER 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 William R. Rasmussen IN V/iNTOK.

United States Patent 6 3,611,465 FEED BUNK CLEANER William R. Rasmussen, Jetmore, Kans., assignor to R-J Industries, Inc. Filed May 6, 1969, Ser. No. 822,140 Int. Cl. A46b 13/02 US. Cl. 15-56 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An attachment including a base to be mounted upon a vehicle for vertical adjustment relative thereto and for oscillation about a first horizontal transverse axis. A transverse support arm is supported at one end from the base for oscillation about a second axis disposed normal to the first axis. The other end of the support arm has the first front end of a trailing arm supported therefrom for limited universal movement relative thereto and the second rear end of the trailing arm has a powered rotary brush assembly supported therefrom whose rotary brush element is rotatable about a horizontal transverse axis.

With the advent of mechanized feeding of cattle in commercial feet lots, the task of removing dirt, snow and wet or spoiled feed from the fence line feed bunks is time consuming when completed by hand and the feed bunk cleaner of the instant invention has been specifically designed to provide a means whereby dirt, snow and wet or spoiled feed may be readily removed from the feed bunks. In addition, the feed bunk cleaner may also be utilized to lift and turn and thus dry wet food remaining in a feed bunk after a rain.

The task of removing dirt, snow and wet or spoiled feed from feed bunks has been previously accomplished by hand and when feed remaining in the bunks becomes wet during a storm it has been conventional to remove this wet feed after the storm has passed and before placing fresh feed within the feed bunks. However, with the cleaner of the instant invention, the feed bunks may be readily cleaned, as desired and wet soggy feed remaining in a feed bunk after a rain may be lifted and tumbled so as to hasten its drying and thus eliminate the wasteful practice of throwing away Wet feed remaining in the feed bunks after a rain.

Some feeding lots may have 5,000 head of cattle therein and when this great number of cattle is disposed within one feeding lot the length of the feed bunks within the lot can total as much as one mile. The bunks often need cleaning when the weather is inclement and performing the task of cleaning these bunks by hand consumes many, many man hours of labor.

Accordingly, the main object of this invention is to provide a mechanical assemblage which may be readily utilized to clean dirt, snow and wet or spoiled feed from feed bunks whose total length may exceed one mile.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the preceding object, is to provide a feed bunk cleaner which may be readily attached to existing farm equipment such as a farm tractor and which may be propelled by the tractor and have its powered brush assembly powered by a hydraulic pump assembly driven from the engine of the tractor.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a feed bunk cleaner in accordance with the immediately preceding objects and which may be readily attached to and removed from a farm tractor.

Another very important object of this invention is to provide a bunk cleaner which may be readily controlled by the operator of the associated tractor and which therefore requires only one man to operate.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a bunk cleaner including operational features which also enable it to be utilized in lifting and turning wet or damp feed remaining in a feed bunk after a storm so as to hasten drying of the feed and thus eliminating the waste of feed which is presently commonplace when wet feed is removed from the bunks after a rain.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a bunk cleaner including a rotary brush assembly supported alongside the associated tractor and in a manner providing for limited vertical as well as transverse movement of the rotary brush assembly relative to the farm tractor whereby slight deviations in steering of the tractor and elevation of the ground alongside the feed bunks being cleaned may be compensated for automatically.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a bunk cleaner whose rotary brush assembly may be readily transferred from one side of the associated farm tractor to the other side thereof thereby enabling the tractor to travel in either direction along one side of a feed bunk which is being cleaned.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a feed lbunk cleaner which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the feed bunk cleaner illustrating the manner in which it may be supported from a conventional fann tractor provided with a vertically adjustable and tiltable front bucket and utilized to clean a feed bunk along which the tractor is moving;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the assemblage illustrated in FIG. 2 and with the feed bunk being illustrated in transverse vertical section;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective .view of the attachment comprising the feed bunk cleaner;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 66- of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 7--7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the,section line 88 of FIG. 5 and with alternate positions of the trailing arm illustrated in phantom lines;

FIG. 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 99 of FIG. 8 and with further alternate positions of the trailing arm illustrated in phantom lines;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 1010 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the hydraulic motor for the rotary brush assembly and illustrating the manner in which the hydraulic motor is adjustably supported from the rear end of the trailing arm; and

FIG. 12 is a front elevational view of the tractor with the front bucket thereof in a lowered position so as to engage the outer end of the support arm of the attachment with the ground to elevate the support arm in prep aration to the support arm being swung to the other side of the bucket.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates a conventional form of farm tractor including a hydraulic pump 12 driven from the engine (not shown) of the tractor 10 and a pair of front lift arms 14 on whose forward vertically swingable ends a scoop bucket 16 is mounted for oscillation about a horizontal transverse axis. The lift arms 14 are powered by means of hydraulic cylinders 18 powered by the hydraulic pump 12 and the bucket 16 may be oscillated relative to the lift arms 14 by means of a pair of hydraulic cylinders 20 also powered from the hydraulic pump 12.

The preceding description may be considered as descriptive of a conventional farm tractor provided with a front scoop bucket and the feed bunk cleaner of the instant invention is referred to in general by the reference numeral 22 and supported from the bucket 16. The feed bunk cleaner 22 has been designed so as to provide a means whereby elongated feed bunks such as that generally referred to by the reference numeral 24 may have snow, dirt and wet or spoiled feed cleaned therefrom. In addition, the feed bunk cleaner is also operable to lift and turn damp feed within the feed bunk 24 so as to hasten the drying of damp feed and prevent its spoilage so as to eliminate the need for throwing away feed once it has become wet within the feed bunker 24.

The feed bunk cleaner 22 includes a base referred to in general by the reference numeral 26, see FIG. 5, and

the base 26- may be seen to include a J-shaped channel member 2.8 which has a pair of attaching arms 30 secured to its opposite ends. The attaching arms 30 extend transversely of the channel member 28 but longitudinally of the tractor 10 and the rear ends of the arms 30 have link chain sections 32 secured thereto at one pair of corresponding ends with chain tightening assemblies 34 secured to the other pair of corresponding ends of the link chain sections 32.

The base 26 has its channel member hooked over the leading marginal edge portion 36 of the bottom wall 38 of the bucket 16. The link chain sections 32 extend upwardly along the rear wall 40 of the bucket '16 and hooked links 42 of the chain tightening assemblies 34 are hooked in eye members 44 secured to the rear of the bucket 16. Thus, the base 26 may be removably secured to the bucket 16 for ready removal therefrom when it is desired to use the bucket 16 for tasks other than supporting the feed bunk cleaner 22. The eye members 44 may be already existent on the bucket 16 or they may be secured thereto in any convenient manner such as by welding in order to provide anchors by which the feed bunk cleaner 22 may be removably attached to the bucket 16.

A sleeve 46 is supported from the short flange 48 of the J-shaped channel member 28 and is braced relative to the short flange 48 by means of diagonal braces 50. A shaft member 2 is journaled through the sleeve 46 and includes a forward end 54 to which a bifurcated mount 56 carried by one end of a support arm 58 is pivotally secured by means of a pivot bolt 60. The rear end of the shaft member 52 is secured through the sleeve 46 by means of a removable abutment plate 62 in turn secured to the rear end of the shaft member 52 by means of suitable fasteners 64. In addition, the forward end portions of the arms 30 project forwardly of the channel member 28 and are turned upwardly so as to define flanges 66 and upstanding flanges 68 are secured to the arms 30 spaced distances rearwardly of the flanges 66 so as to define a pair of upwardly opening and transversely extending cradles on the forward ends of the arms 30. The cradles are aligned and the support arm 58 is swingable from the left hand position thereof illustrated in FIG. 5 of the drawings supported in the left hand cradle to a right hand position supported in the right hand cradle.

The free end of the support arm 58 is disposed outwardly of one side of the tractor 10 and has a ground engaging abutment frame 70 secured to its forward surface and a rearwardly opening sleeve assembly 72 secured to its rear side. The front end of a trailing arm 74 is universally supported from the outer free end of the support arm 58 by means of a universal joint 76 and the front end of the trailing arm 74 is disposed within the sleeve assembly 72 whereby universal movement of the trailing arm 74 is limited to the various dotted line positions thereof illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 of the drawings.

The rear end of the trailing arm 74 includes a rearwardly diverging guard 78 and a pair of channel members 80 are secured to the rear end of the trailing arm 74 by means of a pair of fasteners 82. A support frame referred to in general by the reference numeral 83 and including upper and lower plates 84 and 86 as well as an outer end plate 88 is supported from the channel members 80 and the outer end of the trailing arm 84 by means of the fasteners 82. One of the fasteners 82 is secured through a pair of aligned bores 90 formed through the upper and lower plates 84 and 86 and the other fastener '82 is secured through a pair of arcuate slots 92 formed through the upper and lower plates 84 and 86. Accordingly, it may be seen that the frame 83 may be secured adjusted oscillated positions relative to the rear end of the trailing arm 74.

A fluid motor 94 is supported from the outer end plate 88 and includes an output shaft 96 which projects through an opening 98 formed in the outer end plate 88. A rotary brush element 100 is mounted on the free end of the output shaft 96 and the brush element includes a hollow hub 102 in which the majority of the frame 83 is enclosed. Further, the rear end of the guard 78, which is braced relative to the trailing arm 74 by means of a transverse brace 104, is generally aligned with the outer end of the output shaft 96. Also, a guard plate 106 is supported from the rear end of the trailing arm 74 and acts not only as a guard plate but also as a deflector plate.

In operation, the tractor 10 may be driven along the feed bunk 24 in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 of the drawings and the fluid motor 94 may be operated so as to rotate the brush element 100 in a counter-clockwise direction as the tractor 10 moves to the right as viewed in FIG. 2 of the drawings. This of course will cause any feed, snow and dirt within the feed bunk 24 to be brushed forwardly therealong in front of the brush element 100 and out of the feed bunk 24. As previously hereinbefore set forth, the frame 83 may be slightly adjusted so as to incline the axis of the output shaft 9-6 slightly relative to a vertical transverse plane passing through the feed bunk 24.

It is of course to be appreciated that the elevation of the bucket 16 will be such that the trailing arm 74 will be somewhat in the solid line position illustrated in FIG. 8 of the drawings whereby variations in the elevation of the ground 110 upon which the feed bunk is supported may be compensated for. In addition, the tractor 10 may be steered so as to maintain the trailing arm 74 generally in the solid line position thereof illustrated in FIG. 9 of the drawings. However, should the tractor 10 increase or decrease the distance between the tractor 10 and the feed bunk 24, the trailing arm 74 may pivot toward either of the phantom llne positions thereof illustrated in FIG. 9 of the drawings so as to maintain the brush assembly generally centered within the bottom of the feed bunk 24.

When it is desired to remove the brush element 100 from the feed bunk 24, the fluid motors 18 may be extended from the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 2

of the drawings whereby the bucket 16 will be elevated and the brush element 100 will be upwardly withdrawn from the feed bunker 24. In addition, the brush element 100 may be lifted clear of the feedbunk 24 merely by extension of the cylinders 20 so as to forwardly and downwardly tilt the buck 16 thereby causing the rear end of the trailing arm 74 to be elevated after the trailing arm 74 has assumed the lower limit position illustrated in FIG. 8 of the drawings.

Of course, as soon as the brush element 100 has been lifted clear of the feed bunk, the tractor 10 may be steered away from the feed bunk so as to position the brush element above the ground alongside the feed bunk 24. Then, if it is desired to switch the support arm 58 to the other side of the tractor 10, the lift arms 14 are lowered and the bucket 16 is tilted toward its full downward position such as that illustrated in FIG. 12 of the drawings whereby the abutment frame 70 Will contact the ground 110 upon final movement of the bucket 16 into engagement with the ground 110. As illustrated in FIG. 12, this will elevate the outer end of the support arm 58 and at this point the tractor 10 may be operated in reverse with its front wheels turned to the left so that the free end of the support arm 58 will be swung outward to the front of the bucket 16 and slightly to the other side of the center of the bucket 16. Then, the tractor 10 may be operated in a forward direction with the front wheels thereof turned to the right so as to cause the support arm 58 to swing to the left hand side of the tractor 10 into seated engagement with the left hand cradle defined between the left hand flanges 66 and 68.

Of course, when it is desired to use the bucket 16 for conventional purposes, the chain tensioning assemblies 34 may be loosened after the bucket and the feed bunk cleaner 22 have been positioned as illustrated in FIG. 12 of the drawings. At this time, the tractor 10 may be operated slightly in reverse and the lift arms 14 may be elevated to Withdraw the bucket 16 from the feed bunk cleaner 22.

Further, when it is desired to fluff and turn damp feed within the bunk 24, the motor 94 is actuated at a slower speeed in reverse so as to drive the brush element in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 whereby the damp feed will be lifted and flufi'ed for rapid driving.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as newis as follows:

1. An attachment for a vertically adjustable bucket supported from the front of a vehicle for oscillation about a horizontal transverse axis, said attachment ineluding a base defining a reference axis and for removable securement to said bucket, with said reference axis extending transversely of said vehicle, a support arm including a first end supported from said base for oscillation about a second axis disposed generally normal to said reference axis and for swinging of said support arm between horizontal positions reversed end-to-end and generally paralleling said reference axis, a trailing arm disposed generally normal to said support arm and including front and rear ends, the front end of said trailing arm being supported from the second end of said support arm, and a rotary brush assembly supported from the rear end of said trailing arm and including a powered rotary brush element journaled for rotation about an axis generally paralleling said reference axis.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said brush assembly is supported from said rear end of said trailing arm for adjustable positioning about an axis disposed generally normal to said trailing arm and said 'brush element axis.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said front end of said trailing arm is supported from the second end of said support arm for slight limited universal movement relative to said support arm.

4. In combination with a vehicle of the type including a support carried at one end of a vehicle for vertical shifting and oscillation about a horizontal transverse reference axis, an attachment including a base mounted on said support, a support arm including a first end supported from said base for oscillation about a second axis disposed generally normal to said reference axis and for swinging of said support arm between horizontal positions reversed end-to-end and generally paralleling said reference axis, a trailing arm disposed generally normal to said support arm and including front and rear ends, the front end of said trailing arm being supported from the second end of said support arm, and a rotary brush assembly supported from the rear end of said trailing arm and including a powered rotary brush element journaled for rotation about an axis generally paralleling said reference axis.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said base includes abutment means engageable by portions of said arm spaced from said first end thereof for limiting downward swinging movement of the second end of said arm in each of the horizontal positions thereof.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said trailing arm is supported from said support for slight limited universal movement relative thereto.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said rotary brush assembly is supported from said trailing arm for slight adjustable shifting about an upstanding axis disposed generally normal to said arm.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said trailing arm is supported from said support for slight limited universal movement relative thereto.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,697,846 12/1954 Wilcox et a1. 15-83 2,711,551 6/1955 Wagner et a1. 15-82 3,457,574 7/1969 Hirt 1521 C.O.

FOREIGN PATENTS 11,664 5/1914 Great Britain 1582 1,403,051 5/1965 France 15-21 C.O.

EDWARD L. ROBERTS, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 1521 E 

